the voices for change

Dear President

Regards from your fellow citizens.
We heard that you have visited the rubbles and excavations of the collapsed building in Achrafiyeh today. Allow me to comment on the incident. I personally blame your entity for it, along with the one million and one life-threatening problems me and my fellow citizens suffer from everyday. Blaming it on corruption is easy, blaming people for everyday violations is easy, but pointing fingers at corrupt civil servants who are causing the deaths and suffering of many citizens day in day out is not O.K. This building fell because even though it was not sound, they got away with it, because we have laws such as ” التسوية” “Settlements” that allow people to get away with violations for money; safety and lives can’t be measured by money. It costs money to be safe. It costs money to build a country. It costs lives to ignore them.

It would be nice if we for once would find out the true story behind the collapse of this building, not just random speculations from biased media stations. It would be even nicer if the end result was not blaming it on everyone that is corrupt in this country – which is everyone! Which also means that those that have led to this incident get away with it!

Dear President. Be a citizen like us. Suffer from traffic. Electricity cuts. Contaminated water. Rents. Food. Petrol. Potholes. Do i ramble on? Yes this is a venting post, it is not the most objective post in the world and it’s not trying to be, but it is a call for humanity. A call for human rights; remember that second decree of our constitution:“… Lebanon is also a founding and active member of the United Nations Organization and abides by its covenants and by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Government shall embody these principles in all fields and areas without exception. …”We don’t need the United Nations to hold our government accountable for this promise, nor should we wait for them. The respect of honoring this declaration should come from respect to us; your fellows in citizenship.

May the souls of those that have passed in the Achrafiyeh building collapse rest in peace. #Jan15